The Department of Health (DofH) has announced plans to reduce funding in 2016/17 for Community Pharmacies in England from £2.8 billion to £2.63 billion following the Governments Spending Review and the need for the NHS to deliver £22 billion in efficiency savings by 2020/21.

Dying Matters Awareness Week takes place this week which aims to raise public awareness about the importance of talking more openly about dying, death and bereavement and of planning ahead and organisations supporting Swindon patients with end-of-life concerns, whether personally or as carers, are launching a charter that puts local people’s wishes to the forefront in the care that they will receive in their final weeks and months.

The NHS is working hard to ensure that as few patients as possible are affected by the industrial action on Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 April, but some services will need to change and some are likely to be busier than usual.

This week marks an important milestone for mental healthcare in Swindon. Seriously mentally ill patients in Swindon have not been placed in out of area acute care beds for the past year, achieving a national target 18 months ahead of time.

Public Health England (PHE) has reported a continued increase in cases of scarlet fever across England with 1319 new cases between 21 to 27 March, the highest weekly total recorded in recent decades (data available from 1982 onwards).